High school interns studying how artists captured facial expressions in the exhibition About Face: Human Expression on Paper, which closed December 13, 2015. Photo by Emily Chow Bluck
«When one thinks of The Met, the first things that likely come to mind are art, paintings, and sculptures. You know, the basics. It's true; The Met is a huge (I repeat, huge) museum that holds some of the most treasured works of art, ranging from paintings to sculptures and even fully furnished rooms. While The Met itself is one of the most-visited art museums in the world and the largest art museum in the country, you wouldn't believe how little people actually know about it. By people, I mean the younger demographic, specifically teens.»
Don't get me wrong; I'm a teen myself. I was just as ignorant to the true beauty of The Met as the rest of us, so you're not alone if you feel that way, too. Hearing the word "museum" used to remind me of school, and that's not something most children or teenagers want to think about . . . ever. However, The Met is more than just a museum, and it wasn't until after becoming an intern here that I was able to come to this realization. While that may sound cheesy, allow me to explain.
A high school intern observing some of the various motifs and techniques used in Islamic art. Photo by Emily Chow Bluck
Since I was a child, I've always loved art. It has been a hobby of mine for as long as I can remember. Sadly, that hobby became less of a priority once I started high school. I became preoccupied with academics and never even thought of pursuing art as a career in the future.
High school interns being honored for graduating from the High School Internship Program and their contributions to The Met at a celebration in June 2016. Photo by Austin Canales
While searching for school-year internships during my senior year of high school, I stumbled upon The Met's High School Internship Program. Having been lucky enough to be accepted into this program, I spent my senior year working at The Met as an intern. I am not lying when I say it is one of the best opportunities I have ever taken advantage of. One of the things I did during the internship was the Gallery Project, in which I was able to make my own painting using acrylic markers and write up my own interpretation of my work in an artist label. This helped me understand both how art is made and how it is described. The Gallery Project resulted in an amazing display of our hard work, the exhibition Exploring What Matters: An Exhibition by The Met High School Interns!
High school interns sitting in front of the Museum, happy and proud after completing their final, celebratory day at The Met! Photo by Austin Canales
Not only have I met so many amazing, different people, I was also able to explore the depths of the Museum and discover so much more of it. The wonderful mentors I have been working with helped me realize that art is more than just a hobby. Art is anything you make it out to be. If you want to have a career in art, go ahead! There are so many opportunities out there. The internship and being in The Met environment helped me realize that it doesn't take talent to be an artist. It just takes dedication. If you're dedicated to art, you are a good artist. It's as simple as that.